


Keep It Safe

by GhostOfTasslehoff



Series: Who We Are In The Dark [13]
Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Bonding, Fluff and Angst, Heart-to-Heart, M/M, Mother’s intuition, people are more perceptive than they seem, that moment when
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 09:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16910208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostOfTasslehoff/pseuds/GhostOfTasslehoff
Summary: Sachiko catches L getting into her ohagi for the umpteenth time. A heart to heart ensues.





	Keep It Safe

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post this earlier, but since I’ve been swamped with real life this past week, I wanted to post this as a little interlude before I get to the next part of the series. And a happy birthday to AnotherLostSoul!
> 
> I do not own Death Note, y’all.

“Ryuzaki, are you eating all my ohagi again?!”

L pulled back immediately and shut the fridge door, trying not to look as guilty as he felt, even though the question had been amused rather than annoyed. “Sorry, Sachiko-san, I got hungry again.”

Sachiko put her hands on her hips, eying him curiously. “Right. For as skinny as you are, you sure eat a lot. High metabolism?”

“I guess so,” L replied with a shrug, nibbling at one of his nails.

“Are you  _actually_  hungry, Ryuzaki, or is your constant nibbling a nervous habit?” she asked, opening the fridge and pulling the tray out. “Since you’re here, be a dear and grab a plate down for me, would you?”

L did as he was asked, giving her a surprised look as he did. “How did you know?”

“That you’re a bundle of anxiety?” She smiled up at him and patted his hand with a kind chuckle before she started arranging pieces of the ohagi on the plate. “Well, let’s see. I have a wonderful husband who is tightly wound and tries very hard to do the right thing all of the time. And I have an incredible son who has worked hard to make us proud every day of his life and as a result, he is  _nearly_  as tightly wound as his father. And my lovely daughter has an inferiority complex because she feels like she can never live up to Light  _or_  her father. I’ve been around different flavours of anxiety all my life, Ryuzaki. I just know.”

He was quiet for a long moment as he digested that and then slumped against the counter, looking down. “Was I that transparent?”

“You’ve actually done a pretty admirable job holding up for most of the day, from what I’ve seen. With a few exceptions.” Sachiko paused and glanced over at him. “Sayu told me you seemed sad at the cemetery, and that you disappeared for a while before dinner. Apparently she found you in Light’s room? Do you want to talk about it?”

L sighed and shook his head, avoiding her eyes. “It’s... not something I’ve talked about with many people. I’m not sure it’s something I’m  _ready_  to talk about.”

“And Soichiro berating you at dinner probably didn’t make you feel any more comfortable, I can imagine,” she said, turning away and stooping to open a little wooden cabinet in the corner. Drawing out an already opened bottle of wine, she pulled out two glasses and poured a little in each. “Here. I think a little something to take the edge off is just what you need.”

_What?_ “Thank you, Sachiko-san, but I don’t drink,” L said very quietly, eyes widening as she held one glass out to him.

“Think of it as my apology for my husband’s gruffness. He means well, he just doesn’t always express it in the best way.” She smiled and added, “Just try it once. If you don’t like it, I won’t make you drink the rest.” 

L hesitated and then reached out tentatively for the glass, dipping his head in gratitude.

“Hmm.. hold on. I know what will make it even better.” Sachiko picked up one of the pieces of ohagi still on the tray and handed it to him, giving him a conspiratorial wink. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

With a quiet giggle, L took it, cheeks flushing a little at the kind gesture. “Thank you, Sachiko-san.”

He bit into the sweet rice and chewed slowly, savouring the taste. “This is honestly one of my favourite Japanese sweets,” L said, once he had swallowed the bite down. His gaze drifted to Sachiko as she moved around the kitchen, getting a few other things ready to take to the living room. He wasn’t quite ready to go back yet. “I think yours is the best I’ve ever had.”

She beamed at him. “Do you really mean that?” When he nodded, stuffing the rest of the rice ball in his mouth and chewing with a closed lipped smile, she laughed and said, “If I didn’t think it would make you uncomfortable, I would hug you for that. Thank you, Ryuzaki. You’re a real sweetheart.”

L found himself blushing again at the compliment, and he ducked his head with a tiny, embarrassed smile. For lack of anything better to do, he took a sip of the wine, and then blinked in surprise.

“It’s...”

“Sweet?” Sachiko looked at him again and nodded. “That’s my personal favourite. I can’t do dry wines, and I save that one for when I want to indulge. I don’t tend to drink very much either, as a general rule.”

“You are a very interesting woman, Sachiko-san,” L said, voice soft and sincere.

“Thank you, dear.” She frowned at her collection and then looked up at the cupboards again. “Could you take down a few mugs for me, please?”

“They’re...?” She pointed to the cupboard next to the fridge, and L reached up to grab them down for her. When he put them down, he realized that she was staring at him curiously again. “What?”

“If you don’t mind my asking...” For the first time during the conversation, Sachiko seemed hesitant to say anything. L shook his head and gestured at her to continue. “I didn’t want to say anything. But I should let you know that it’s highly unusual for Soichiro to bring coworkers home for  _any_  holiday, much less a family one of such significance.”

“Okay?” L said slowly, softly, leaning against the stove and cradling the wine glass in both hands.

“So even though I fully believe the story he gave me this morning, I think there’s more to it than that.” Sachiko gave him a small smile as she said that. His mouth went dry at that, heart rate speeding up ever so slightly as he realized what was going on.  _She suspects_? She took a sip of wine from her own glass and then opened the fridge to find something to fill the mugs with. “I’ve been thinking about it all day. You’re clearly an intelligent young man if you’re working on the Kira case. Despite your familiarity with our customs, you don’t appear to be fully Japanese, so you’re  _definitely_  not working for the NPA. And I noticed early on that there’s something very familiar about the way you speak. You remind me of Light in that way, but that still isn’t quite it.” Once she had finished pouring the soda, she turned to him once again and said very softly, “And most tellingly, when Soichiro  _does_  bring colleagues home for dinner, it’s almost  _always_  been a superior.”

“What is it you’re asking, Sachiko-san?” he asked very quietly, staring at her intently.

Smiling, Sachiko came over and took one of his hands in both of hers and asked softly, “Are you the detective L, by any chance? It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”

L swallowed hard and looked away. He wouldn’t lie to her, since she had been kind enough to let him in to her home, but he also didn’t want to outright confirm it. The more people who knew who he was, the greater the risk he took. He trusted that she would understand what his silence meant, since she had proven to be surprisingly intuitive up to this point.

“It’s a  _great_  honour to have you in my house, Ryuzaki-sama,” Sachiko finally said, squeezing his hand gently and bringing his wide eyed attention back to her. He hadn’t been expecting her to use  _any_  honorific for him, much less one that denoted such great respect, and he found himself smiling at her again, blinking back the beginnings of tears. She dipped her head to him in a gesture of fond, familiar respect, and smiled again. “Now, I have one last question for you, and I expect an answer this time.”

“Anything,” he said, swallowing and ducking his head a little.

“If you’re such a great detective, why is it that you can’t sit  _still_  at my dinner table?” Her eyes were dancing with mirth at that, and the unexpected teasing pulled a sharp, surprised, but genuine laugh from L before he could stop it.

“I have a hard time sitting normally, honestly,” he confessed, still chuckling. “And Soichiro-san told me I wasn’t allowed to put my feet up on the furniture unless you said it was okay.”

“Well, that’s just ridiculous, Sayu does it all the time,” she laughed, leaning in to give him a brief hug. Normally he would have been uncomfortable with it, but Sachiko had been so surprisingly warm and welcoming, and refreshingly direct, that he just felt... well, loved. Accepted. “Go ahead. I don’t care. If he objects, I’ll give him a piece of my mind.” And with that, she shoved him towards the doorway into the living room.

“But Sachiko-“

“Ryuzaki, hush, it’s absolutely fine.  _Go_.” Laughing, she shoved him fully out the door now, standing in the doorway with a grin. “I’ll be right along with dessert.”

_I wish she could be my mom_ , L found himself thinking, smiling to himself and feeling much better.


End file.
